


Missteps and Assumptions

by C_C



Category: due South
Genre: Humor, M/M, flashfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-28
Updated: 2012-09-28
Packaged: 2017-11-15 05:06:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/523466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/C_C/pseuds/C_C
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Fraser manages to get hurt while other people are endangering themselves in wildly bizarre ways, Ma Vecchio makes an assumption.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually two stories, a flashfic challenge response and then a second story to answer a question about the first. If you are one of those folks that likes a chronologically consistent experience read Chapter 2 first.

Mrs. Vecchio has been making spaghetti since five o’clock. Maybe longer. It seems to Ray like she doesn’t quite know she's doing it. And he wishes, for the tenth time in the last three hours, that Fraser was here to help him make sense of it, or at least that the doctors hadn’t kicked them out of Fraser’s hospital room.  
“Look, Mrs. Vecchio,” “Ma,” She scolds.  
He nods, “Look, Ma, I know what you saw back there was, well, a shock…”  
“Benton‘s looked worse Raymond. It was just a split lip after all.”  
Ray stares at her. She had to know she caught them making out. There’s really only one explanation for having your fingers twisted in someone’s hair and your tongue down their throat.  
He runs a hand through his hair while trying to figure out just what to say when she starts pulling out Tupperware. “I‘ve made you boys plenty of food and I expect you to make sure Benton eats right while he heals.”  
“Sure thing Ma,” He assures her, slightly dazed.  
“And you make sure you eat too, Raymond, you‘re still too skinny.”  
“Sure thing Ma,” Ray repeats more softly.  
“As for the other… relief makes us do funny things.”  
Knowing what she means to say Ray still has to correct her, he can’t let her go on assuming something that isn’t true. Cover or no cover this is his life and it’s worth more than that. “So can love.”  
Mrs. Vecchio just returns to her stove.


	2. Missteps

As they turn the corner onto Lake Street the source of the commotion is suddenly much clearer. Everyone is looking up, pointing, discussing, or otherwise mesmerized by the unicyclist navigating the thin wire stretched across the road two stories above their heads. Aside from the sheer novelty of someone spontaneously performing such a feat the fact that he's dressed like Carmen Miranda, fruit and all, is making it quiet the spectacle. Ray is mildly amused by the fact that while he's taken all this information in Fraser has neither paused in his speech about group mentalities and mass hysteria or broken his even stride. 

"... entirely uncommon for individuals to act in uncharacteristic manners in large groups."  
Judging that Fraser has said his piece Ray smiles, "Doesn't exactly look safe, does it?"  
A nervousness creeps into Fraser's expression, "In point of fact Ray it isn't safe. If he's made the slightest miscalculation, or makes even a small misstep he could well be seriously injured."  
As it happens that's the exact moment that he over balances and begins to fall. Fraser is running within seconds, Dief hot on his heels. When what's actually happening catches up to Ray he chases after them while calling for an ambulance.  
Ray's still a few feet away when Fraser catches the man as if he were a planned part of the act, dropping them both to the ground on the momentum that the unicyclist has amassed. Before he can so much as call out a warning the unicycle hits Fraser squarely in the forehead. Dief immediately begins licking his face and whining.  
Ray pulls the uninjured performer off of Fraser with a fair degree of force and then drops down beside his fallen partner. "Fraser? Buddy? You okay there?" His voice is hopeful and Dief moves behind him. "Ben? You gotta wake up for me here Ben." A quick pulse check reveals that at least it's not the worst it could be. Ray glances at the crowd and takes a deep breath. With a careful, though unsteady, hand he lifts one of Fraser's eyelids, and is rewarded with a fit of blinking and a confused sounding "Ray?"  
Ray gives him a relieved smile, "It's me Ben. No, no don't try to sit up. There's an ambulance on the way."  
"Ray?" Only when Fraser's thumb brushes a tear away does Ray realize he's shed any.  
Before he can even collect his wits enough to understand that Fraser is looking for an excuse as to why he's crying the EMTs are beside them, asking valid, important medical questions and they're both answering like the old pros they are.

It probably helps that the EMTs are ones they know. Hell they both look the other way when Dief hops up into the Ambulance. Which is fine with Ray because it means he doesn't have to go all the way back to the station for the goat. Fraser is oddly quiet during the trip to the hospital and at first it worries Ray. He squeezes Fraser's hand in a reassuring way and then he realizes he knows the look Fraser is giving him, he's concerned about him. "I'm just worried," He mumbles quietly. Not that he thinks that Luke and Maria would believe them even if they said they weren't together, but because he's not ready to discuss the fact that he was crying for fuck's sake in front of anybody, except maybe the wolf. Dief refuses to butt out and Ray's sick of spending the energy to try.  
Thankfully Fraser just squeezes back, "I assure you I'm quiet alright Ray."  
"Not until somebody who's trained to say so tells me you are," Ray amends stubbornly.  
Fraser appears to want to say something to that but instead he nods, "As you wish Ray."  
Maria chuckles from behind the wheel and Ray just hangs his head.  
Sitting in the waiting room with the wolf tucked to his side like a shadow lets Ray get nervous again, so when a nurse he doesn't know calls him back he's almost reluctant to follow. Dief however seems to retain his wits and pushes him down the corridor.  
Dr. Christiansen waves him into the room with a knowing smile and half the tension leaves him. "Ah, there you are Ray. I was surprised to find you'd stayed in the waiting room."  
Ray feels himself blush, "New duty nurse stopped me at the doors."  
"Ah, Miss Greene is a bit... fastidious about the rules, yes. Well Constable Fraser tells me you won't believe he's going to recover nicely unless I tell you so."

Ray blushes, "Concussions are the kind of thing that sneaks up on you... I mean I know I always _think_ I'm fine when they tell me I have a concussion..."  
The barest hint of a fond grin crosses Fraser's features, hampered not at all by his split lip, and Ray's blush lessens.  
Dr. Christiansen's expression however becomes more serious, "Right you are Ray. And in keeping with that bit of wisdom I'm going to tell you both this: While we are not seriously concerned about the possibility of a major complication due to a concussion we are keeping you here over night Benton. And no you can't stay Ray, we both know that would only ensure that you're both fatigued come morning. Tomorrow, upon your release we expect you to watch for any of the noted symptoms and return immediately if you so much as suspect that you're experiencing any."  
The whole speech reassures Ray, normally if you come in with a _likely_ concussion that refuse to speculate as to whether or not they'll let you go come morning, they must be pretty damn convinced Fraser's going to be okay. "If he so much as seems dizzy," Ray assures the doctor, knowing if nothing else that some response is needed.  
Dr. Christiansen knows he's already been mentally dismissed and still he takes the time to shake each man's hand with their customary "Nice doing business with you officer."  
When the door clicks shut behind the other man Ray finally makes his way to Fraser's bedside, forgoing the chair for the edge of the mattress. He brushes the barest of touches over the bottom edge of the bandage across Fraser's forehead and lets a thumb graze the cut on his bottom lip. "Ben" His voice fails him.  
"Ray?" Fraser asks, clearly concerned. "What is it? Why are you so disturbed by this? I've received worse injuries, we both have..."  
Ray leans in a little so he can speak more softly, knowing he'll only have one chance to say this and that if he can manage the first explanation clearly it'll be a miracle. "This was just so fucking stupid... He wasn't even some perp about to hurt somebody else, just some dumb shit who can't figure out it's a bad idea to unicycle two stories above the street and on clothesline for Christ’s sake. If you'd... died, if I'd... lost you to something that stupid... Damnit Ben they'd have had to arrest me because I would have killed the crazy SOB." He takes a deep breath and glances into Fraser's eyes, "I know we're cops and everyday we go to work and we could die. I get that, I really do. But that's assuming there's at least something like a reason, so that a civilian is protected, so that other officers don't get shot, so that some fart hammer dies rather than escapes, and I know you'd never make that choice, but sometimes you just have to. But that does not mean that we sign up to die because some smuck thinks he's an artist Fraze, especially not you." He crying again, and this time he just doesn't give a damn. "Next time some idiot finds some wildly bizarre new way to off himself you damn well let him Ben, you're worth more than that. You're worth more than just about anything, more than me at least."

“Don‘t say that,” Fraser’s voice is fierce, and that knocks Ray back a bit, “I‘m not worth more than you Ray, no one is.” 

“Yes you are Ben, because whatever you think I am I‘m not me without you, at least not the me I want to be. You make me a better person, you make a lot of people better, just by showing ‘em there are still decent people out there Ben.”

“You give me far too much credit Ray,” Fraser murmurs softly, the edge of anger from the previous statement all but forgotten. He hands Ray a tissue but neither mentions the newly shed tears as they’re wiped away.

“And _you_ think you‘ve side tracked me,” Ray comments with the barest hint of annoyance.

Fraser sighs but doesn’t bother denying it, “I can‘t just let someone be hurt Ray, anymore than you could allow a suspect to blatantly lie to you without offering to kick them in the head.”

Ray just stares at him for a moment, unwilling to concede so quickly. But he knows he‘s beaten. “I know. Just tell me you‘ll be more careful. Lie if you have to.”

“I‘ll be more careful,” Fraser agrees sincerely, missing entirely the door opening behind Ray.

Ray smiles and leans in for a long slow kiss. 

Unfortunately two sounds interrupt them in quick succession, a surprised gasp and the duty nurse’s call of “I‘m afraid visiting hours are over for the night. I need you both to leave Mr. Fraser‘s room now.”

Ray refuses to jerk away as if he’s guilty or embarrassed, instead he smiles at Fraser and slowly backs up until he can turn around with his usual grace, “I‘ll take Dief and we‘ll come and get you in the morning Frase.”

Only when Fraser offers a “Thank you kindly,” through his blush does Ray look to see who’d caught them. 

In the few seconds their exchange has lasted Ma Vecchio has composed herself and is now giving Fraser an accessing look, “Are you all right Benton? Francesca phoned, she said you‘d been taken to the hospital.”

Fraser gives her an embarrassed smile, “The doctor says I‘ll recover nicely Mrs. Vecchio, nothing to worry over.”

“Nonsense, they don‘t hold you overnight for nothing Benton,” Mrs. Vecchio contradicts.

“That‘s right,” The duty nurse pipes up, “And as I‘ve said visiting hours are over.”

Ray expects Mrs. Vecchio to protest but she just nods, “Come along then son, Benton needs his rest and I expect you to tell me exactly what happened.”

Ray casts a questioning glance at Fraser but says, “Sure thing Ma,” and follows her out.


End file.
